Client Services Account Director

Great success in acquiring new business means we are expanding our Client Services team at Harvest. Our Client Services team is responsible for designing and delivering integrated marketing plans covering all digital channels to meet our clients’ marketing and business objectives. It is key for the individual in this role to have the ability to understand a range of digital marketing channels and work with the activation teams to deliver the most appropriate marketing solutions.

WHAT YOU’RE HERE TO DO

Client relationship management

• Develop strong client relationships by acting as a strategic partner, challenge and inspire the client, position Harvest as a partner by acting as strategic guide and facilitator.
• Maintain day-to-day contact with clients, demonstrating an enterprising and pro-active attitude.
• Take responsibility for ensuring that a strategic programme of activity is in place and budget is signed off with client.
• Understand fully the client’s business including economic levers, industry, organisation and customer/audience needs.
• Be the brand guardian of the client within the agency. Fully understand the creative work, critique and challenge the product.
• Cross and up-sell our capabilities whilst looking for opportunities for new services and growth.

Activation team coordination

• Lead the account team to deliver compelling and inspiring marketing solutions across channels to meet and exceed client expectations.
• Direct account team activity to ensure activity is implemented according to Harvest quality standards and achieves its objectives.
• Ensure ownership and responsibility for projects for all members of the team.

Strategy & planning

• Collaborate with our Planning Director and channel specialists on channel mix & campaign strategy.
• Undertake online sector and competitor analysis.
• Maintain a strategic overview of your accounts, and proactively advise client on new issues.
• Run/contribute to strategic planning meetings with client.
• Instigate brainstorms to develop the strategic, creative direction of accounts.
• Have financial ownership of your ‘business’ – an in-depth understanding of financial status of your accounts.

Commercial Management

• Provide regular monthly updates to the forecast for your accounts, include justifications for decisions.
• Working with our Finance team to be responsible for account/project profitability and maintaining agreed fee income.
• Take responsibility for negotiating and establishing financial arrangements with client.
• Obtain client approval for the SOW, estimate and schedule of all projects.
• Work with the Clients Service team and channel leads to ensure resourcing within the account is appropriate at all times. Ensure that you have the best team for the job.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

A Harvest Client Services Account Director/Senior Account Manager will ideally have experience in these areas:

• A good working knowledge of what we can offer the client, including Search Marketing, Media Planning & Buying, Analytics, Account Planning etc.
• Ability to present and sell in our services and collaborating with colleagues to put together compelling proposals.
• Extensive experience of developing and executing online marketing campaigns.
• Able to demonstrate strategic marketing experience as well as the ability to adopt a hands-on approach when necessary.
• Proven experience gained within media and search agencies (either a network agency or integrated agency) and/or client-side digital marketing team.
• Ability to coordinate a diverse team of specialists to deliver on client briefs efficiently.
• Experience managing and growing strong client relationships.
• Excellent written, oral and presentation skills.
• Demonstrable experience managing and reporting on the commercial aspects of media buying and client management, including billing, contracts, budgeting etc.

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package based on the experience of the candidate. Since 2020, Harvest has been an Employee Owned Trust, meaning that the larger part of the business is owned in a meaningful way by the staff ourselves, with implications for profit-sharing and the direction of the business.

ABOUT US

Harvest Digital is an award-winning independent agency with over 20 years’ experience. We are ranked as one of the top 40 Independent Digital Agencies by Drum magazine and, as Google Premium Partners, are among the top 3% of agencies in the UK.

We believe in a joined-up thinking approach to client briefs, which means we can deliver the full range of digital marketing solutions. We are truly full-service and our capabilities range from performance media, PPC, Search Engine Optimisation, Programmatic Display, Social Media, User Experience, Design and Analytics.

We are an independent, full-service digital performance agency and our close-knit team of specialists are committed to helping our clients with whatever they need to grow their business online.

Key clients include:

• Riverford Organic
• Papa Johns
• Sharps
• Mobility Bathing Group
• TalkRemit
• Scuderia Car Parts
• Velo (BAT)

The Harvest core values are derived from a strong company vision to deliver high performance digital marketing through a combination of brilliant ideas and flawless execution. Matched with this, our mission is to use the best digital ideas to connect brands to users and deliver the maximum return on investment. Harvest manages digital marketing investment on behalf of its clients, putting the client needs at the core of everything we do.